Breakdown of Wij veranderen het volume na anderhalve minuut.
wij
we
de minuut
the minute
veranderen
to change
na
after (preposition)
anderhalf
one and a half
het volume
the volume
Questions & Answers about Wij veranderen het volume na anderhalve minuut.
Why does the sentence use the singular minuut when the English translation says 'minutes'?
In Dutch, the quantifier anderhalf (one and a half) is always followed by a singular noun. Even though the amount is more than one, you must say anderhalve minuut, which translates literally to 'one and a half minute'.
Why is there an -e on the end of anderhalve?
You add an -e because minuut is a de-word (de minuut). When the word for 'one and a half' comes before a de-word, it takes the inflected form anderhalve. If it were modifying a het-word, it would drop the -e, for example: anderhalf jaar (one and a half years).
Does veranderen work for any kind of 'change'?
No, veranderen specifically means to alter or modify a state or condition, like turning the volume up, altering a plan, or a person changing over time. If you mean exchanging one thing for another, you use wisselen (like changing money), and for changing clothes you use zich omkleden.
I remember 'after' pushing verbs to the end of the sentence. Why doesn't that happen here with na?
Because na is a preposition here, just forming the phrase na anderhalve minuut (after one and a half minutes). You are likely thinking of the conjunction nadat (after), which introduces a full dependent clause and pushes the verb in that clause to the end.
Learn Wij veranderen het volume na anderhalve minuut and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free